Jersey City bartender Carlos Rodriguez better known to some as Mr. Gay World USA New Jersey never thought he’d be on a reality show, especially not as a pageant contestant.

But a casual chat with Michael Billy and Jarl Haugedal the producers of “Mr. Gay World USA,” which was recently filmed in Jersey City at a River Edge gay bar where Rodriguez tends bar changed everything.

“It happened to be a night I was filling in for someone else and Michael and Jarl came up to me . . . When I think of reality shows I think of ‘Bad Girls Club’ and stuff like that that’s negative, but they told me about the show’s positive spin and completely changed my mind,” said Rodriguez, 24.

The reality show “Mr. Gay World USA” features 12 gay men from around the country who vie for the chance to represent the U.S. at Mr. Gay World 2012 in South Africa, where one man will become an ambassador for gay and human rights.

During the audition, Rodriguez was bestowed the title of Mr. Gay World USA New Jersey.

The date when the reality-TV show will air hasn’t been determined, and Rodriguez is sworn to secrecy as far as revealing who will represent the nation at the Mr. Gay World 2012 competition in April.

But he was happy to describe the ideal Mr. Gay World.

“He would be someone comfortable in his own skin, comfortable identifying with the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community, able to stand up for himself against the odds and able to speak in front of a crowd with confidence,” he said. “He is someone who dreams of something more, of a better tomorrow.

About the reality-TV show shoot, he said, “Toward the end of the competition I felt like I fit the description of Mr. Gay World USA . . . I discovered someone inside of me that I’ve always wanted to know.”

Rodriguez said he hopes to reach out to kids in Jersey City and his hometown, Paterson, and inspire them. He is also pursuing photography and a career as an American Sign Language interpreter.